“Being always transcends appearance-that which only seems to be. Once you begin to know the being behind the very pretty or very ugly face, as determined by your bias, the surface appearances fade away until they simply no longer matter.”

“It's quite simple really. Being always transcends appearance-that which only seems to be. Once you begin to know the being behind the very pretty or very ugly face, as determined by your bias, the surface appearances fade away until they simple no longer matter. That is why Elousia is such a wonderful name. God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things-ultimately emerging as the real-and appearances that mask that reality will fall away.”

“Tony stood up and began pacing the room. “Jack,” heconfessed, “my life that I defined as a success is actually a totalshambles, and yet you’re suggesting that underneath it all, thereis an unimaginable beauty? Are you telling me that I matter?That even though I am this ugly, ordinary-looking root, that I wasdesigned and intended to express a unique and extraordinaryflower? That’s what you are telling me… right?”Jack nodded, again removing his pipe for a puff.“And I assume,” Tony continued, “this is true about everyhuman being, each person born—”“Conceived!” interrupted Jack.“Each person ‘conceived’ on the planet, each one living inlife-before, each one is a root in which a flower is waiting?Right?”Again Jack nodded”

“Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved.”

“You heard and felt the harmonies of light, at leastthe surface of them, but you didn’t notice, did you, that themelody was missing?”It was true, Tony had not heard a melody, just a symphony ofharmonies.“I don’t understand. What’s the missing melody?” he asked.“You, Anthony! You are the melody! You are the reason forthe existence of what you witnessed and consider soimmeasurably awe inspiring. Without you, what you perceivedwould have no meaning and no shape. Without you, it wouldhave simply… fallen apart.”

“So no, I’m not too big on religion...and not very fond of politics or economics either...And why should I be? They are the man-created trinity of terrors that ravages the earth and deceives those I care about. What mental turmoil and anxiety does any human face that is not related to one of those three?”

“Responsibilities and expectations are the basis of guilt and shame and judgement, and they provide the essential framework that promotes performance as the basis for identity and value...Honey, I've never placed an expectation on your or anyone else. The idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behavior to get the required result. Humans try to control behavior largely through expectations. I know you and everything about you. Why would I have an expectation other than what I already know? And beyond that, because I have no expectations, you never disappoint me...What I do have is a constant and living expectancy in our relationship, and I give you an ability to respond in any situation and circumstance in which you find yourself. To the degree that you resort to expectations and responsibilities, to that extent you neither know me nor trust me...”